The Internet of Things (IoT) is an intelligent technology and service for interconnecting things over the Internet to perform information communication between people and things and between things. For example, “information communication between things” means that apparatuses connected to the Internet transmit, receive, and process information without the intervention of people.
“Sensing technology” for sensing the surrounding circumstances (things or environments) to acquire information, “network technology” for interconnecting things to the Internet, and “service interface technology” for processing and providing information have been proposed as technologies for realizing the Internet of Things.
In the sensing technology, at least one selected from among environment sensors (e.g., a barometer, a hygrometer, a thermometer, a radioactivity sensor, a heat sensor, and a gas sensor), chemical sensors (e.g., an electronic nose, a health care sensor, and a biometric sensor), a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, a gravity sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, an RGB sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a remote sensor, an SAR, a radar, and optical sensors (e.g., a video sensor and an image sensor) may be included.
“Network technology” means interconnecting personal computers (PCs), various kinds of equipment and facilities, and portable terminals using various wired and/or wireless technologies. Ethernet, PLC, IEEE 1394, Home PNA, etc. are used as the wired technologies. IEEE 802.11. WLAN, IEEE 802.15 WPAN, UWB, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-wave, Bluetooth, etc. are used as the wireless technologies. In addition, a server for collecting various kinds of information and transmitting and receiving various kinds of signals may be included in the network.
The network environment may be applied to various spatial or service-dimensional concepts as well as homes and offices.
Various apparatuses having a function for transmitting and receiving information about apparatuses over networks have been developed. Particularly, in the home networking field, home electric appliances equipped with the Internet of Things function have been developed.
In some examples, apparatuses may include various kinds of input units. For example, a switch, among the input units, is pushed when vertical pressure is applied thereto. After the switch is pushed, it is necessary to return the switch to the original state thereof. In order to generate restoring force necessary to return the switch to the original state thereof, an elastic member, such as a spring, may be used.